Zone 2 Q&A: Can You Run Too Slow? When Does Easy Pace Get Faster?

Have we put Zone 2 running on an undeserved pedestal?

A recent episode with Brady Holmer dug into Zone 2 as it relates to heat training.

One listener named Nadine emailed me some great questions to follow up on the Zone 2 conversation.

Like many of you, easy running has gotten confusing for Nadine because of so much of the advice on the internet to never go faster than Zone 2 and the value of very slow running. But Nadine was feeling better at slightly faster paces!

I figured it'd be more helpful to record a conversation about these topics as a follow-up to our episode with Brady, and Nadine agreed.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Zone 2 for non-elite, less experienced runners
• How and when to increase the speed of easy/long runs
• Is there such a thing as too slow?
• What if “too slow” corresponds to the right heart rate?
• Benefits of Zone 3 running for low-volume runners
• Polarizing training and recovery runs
• Running in the heat and heat adaptation
• How do you determine your easy running pace?

If you like what you hear in this episode, send it to a friend who runs!

Links & Resources from the Show:

• Make sure you’ve followed or subscribed to the show-- I’m planning another episode with a performance PhD to talk more about the significant value of Zone 3 running.
• The episode with Brady Holmer
• Follow @jasonfitz1 on Instagram
• Get free injury prevention tips

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